Rebuilding
by Keira-House M.D
Summary: A companion piece to ‘Heir To The Four Founders’, focusing on the time between the Final Battle and The Epilogue as the Order are trying to rebuild the wizarding world. Multiple pairings including BW/HG, HP/GW, RL/NT & BZ/LL detailed in the first chapter.
1. 1998

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter, it is the property of the brilliant J.K Rowling. This story is the product of her marvellous characters and world and my imagination.

**Title: **Rebuilding

**Author: **Keira-House M.D.

**Pairings: **Hermione/Bill Harry/Ginny Remus/Tonks Sirius/OC Blaise/Luna Draco/Astoria Ron/Verity Fred/Angelina George/Katie Neville/Hannah Molly/Arthur

**Summary:** A companion piece to 'Heir To The Four Founders', focusing on the time between the Final Battle and The Epilogue as the Order are trying to rebuild the wizarding world. Each chapter will highlight the main events of each year up until 2014, the year the epilogue was set in.

**Any constructive criticism or reviews are extremely welcome, I adore feedback of any kind. Enjoy the chapter. **

* * *

**1998 AKA The Year The Order Kicked Voldemort's Ass**

After the dust had cleared from the Final Battle and the month of what seemed like constant funerals had passed, the first thing the Order did was throw a party. Hermione, being the sensible one, suggested that perhaps they should wait until Hogwarts was rebuilt so they could celebrate that as well. However, everyone else was desperate for a party and knew that the repairs would take a few months. Therefore, Hermione dropped her resistance and the party was held exactly five weeks after the Final Battle, complete with blindingly bright decorations, loud music and a rather unhealthy amount of firewhiskey.

Everybody had a great time at the party - it was celebrating the downfall of Voldemort after all and they couldn't help but be amused by the banner Fred and George had made, with flashing red and gold letters proclaiming, 'We Kicked Voldemort's Snakey Arse & Lived To Tell The Tale.' Mrs Weasley, or Molly as she had asked Hermione and Harry to call her, had chastised the twins for their language, but the mood of celebration meant she was unable to stay mad at them for long, especially after someone had slipped her some of the spiked punch. Hermione had learnt from that night that if you ever wanted to get something past Molly, you should do it when she was a bit tipsy because she'd forgive pretty much anything then. Of course, once she was sober and remembered what had happened, you were likely to be ripped into twice as badly to make up for it, as Fred and George had found out many a time.

Hermione had a great time, forgetting the pain that the losses from the war had caused and dancing with practically everyone, before sneaking off a little early with Bill for the night. She could only thank Merlin that the men had been drinking or something painful might have happened to Bill's appendages - they were such an overprotective bunch, but she loved them all. Hermione herself hadn't had any firewhiskey, preferring to laugh at the drunken antics of her friends and make sure that little Teddy Lupin was safe and put to bed on time. She was immensely enjoying being a godmother to Remus and Tonks' son, enjoying the experience of looking after little children that she had missed, being an only child. She also enjoyed being able to tease 80% of those who were at the party the next morning because of their hangovers - Hermione wasn't a vindictive person by nature, but she enjoyed occasional mischief and couldn't resist talking very loudly and causing everyone in a ten metre vicinity of her to groan and grasp their heads in pain.

Once everyone had recovered from the party, the Order held a meeting to discuss what they were going to do with their lives. All the teenagers were capable of passing their NEWTS, even Ginny and Luna, who were a year younger than the rest, thanks to all the work they'd done in training. Since it was now June, they were going to work on rebuilding Hogwarts, before taking their NEWTS at the Ministry in October. Once the results were given in November they could decide what sort of career they wished to pursue. Meanwhile, some of the adults would be helping at Hogwarts, while others, such as Kingsley, Tonks and Arthur, would be helping reorganise the Ministry and rid it of the corruption it was full of.

Things had been a little confusing to begin with, but soon Kingsley had been appointed the new Minister for Magic and the whole Order was delighted, knowing that it meant that wizarding Britain would be in good hands and could start to rebuild. His first act was an entire reshuffle of the top Ministry positions, with Arthur as a chief advisor and Sirius (who had been an auror before his arrest) in charge of the Auror Department with Tonks. Remus was also appointed to a position that would allow him to destroy the prejudice against half-breeds like werewolves, as well as eradicating pro-pureblood laws.

* * *

Hermione, Luna, Ginny, Blaise and Draco studied like crazy for their NEWT's, Neville fretted over everything and even Harry and Ron were seen picking up books, despite their complaints about actually having to do their tests because, as Ron put it, "we helped defeat Voldemort, who needs tests." Hermione had smacked him over the head for that comment and while it had amused everyone, they had withheld laughter in case she decided to turn her temper, which always got frayed in exam season, on them. The entire Order kept reassuring Hermione that she could pass the NEWT's with her eyes closed, but being Hermione she still worried dreadfully and revised all hours of the day until Bill or one of her friends would pull her away from her work.

Of course, in the end Hermione did brilliantly, smashing a whole lot of NEWT records by achieving seven Outstandings. Harry received four Exceeds Expectations and an Outstanding (in DADA obviously), while Ron got four Exceeds Expectations and an Acceptable. Ginny got six Exceeds Expectations and Luna, Draco and Blaise all received three Exceeds Expectations and three Outstandings. Neville shocked himself with an Outstanding in Herbology, two Exceeds Expectations and two Acceptable - the work with the Order had definitely boosted his confidence. Sirius insisted on throwing another party to celebrate the results and since everyone was in the mood to let loose it was agreed upon. No one learnt their lesson from the last party and there was a large proportion of hangovers, while Hermione once again took the opportunity to make it painful for them all.

Bill surprised Hermione a week after her exam results had come with a late Birthday present combined with a congratulations on her exams - a two week trip to Italy with him. She'd been very surprised, but completely delighted, and had proceeded to kiss him enthusiastically, much to the annoyance of the Order, who were all there at the time. Of course, Hermione just had to remind Harry and Ginny of how hypocritical they were being and all the attention was directed off her as Ginny's brothers glared menacingly at Harry for 'corrupting' their little sister. Harry sent a helpless look to Hermione, who just shrugged and grinned, cuddling into Bill's side with a smile.

The holiday had been a hugely welcome break for both Hermione and Bill. It was nice to get away from the hordes of people that seemed to follow the war heroes around. Also, while they loved everyone in the Order, it was nice to finally have some alone time without hints of marriage from Molly and teasing comments from Sirius, Fred, George and Ginny. Italy had been absolutely beautiful and Hermione had found it fascinating to discover both the magical and muggle history there. Still, she also loved the hotel they were staying at - swimming in the pool, using the spa and spending a lot of time in the huge suite she and Bill had.

However, the biggest shock - though a good one - was yet to come.

* * *

It was their last night in Italy and Bill had taken her to a cosy restaurant with some of the best food Hermione had ever tasted. They chatted animatedly and Hermione had enjoyed just relaxing without the constant worry of having to check her surroundings for hidden death eaters or dangerous situations. After dinner, Bill had grasped her hand gently and they'd gone for a walk, meandering around on the beach near their hotel until they came to a secluded spot away from the buildings and noisy traffic. When Bill stopped Hermione thought nothing of it, thinking that perhaps he just wanted to sit a while. She was taken by surprise when he knelt down in front of her, hand digging into his pocket and pulling out a ring box.

Hermione gasped as Bill gave a hopeful smile and opened the box, revealing a gorgeous engagement ring. It was a thin gold band with a ruby stone - she guessed it signified their shared Hogwarts house of Gryffindor - and she absolutely loved it. Bill smiled again, "Hermione Granger, will you do me the honour of making me the happiest wizard on earth and marrying me?" She beamed down at Bill, there was really only one answer she could give to the man she loved so much, "yes, a thousand times yes." She couldn't help it when the tears started, but really she didn't want them to stop - it had been such a long time since she'd cried out of happiness rather than pain or sadness. Bill slipped the ring onto Hermione's finger and they walked back to the hotel, neither able to keep the huge grins off their faces. They had spent the rest of the night celebrating in their room and consequently slept through most of their plane flight home (they'd travelled muggle).

Shockingly, it had been Sirius and not one of the women who first spotted Hermione's engagement ring. Since they were having a casual Order get-together at the time it saved Hermione and Bill from having to tell everyone separately. Molly burst into tears, so happy that her eldest son was finally settling down with the girl she considered another daughter, while Ginny, Luna and Tonks immediately swarmed Hermione, talking about wedding plans and gushing over the ring. Meanwhile, the boys, including Bill's own brothers to Hermione's amusement, took her new fiancé into the kitchen for a little 'talk', ensuring he knew the sort of pain he would be in if he hurt Hermione. She'd laughed at that - anyone who knew her well knew she was perfectly capable of making Bill suffer more than adequately if he did something wrong.

* * *

Bill and Hermione quickly decided that they wouldn't get married for at least a year or two, so wedding plans could be put to the side while the wizarding world got back on its feet. Harry, Draco and Blaise were all going into Auror training, while Ron and Ginny were scouted by Quidditch teams; the Chudley Cannons for Ron and the Holyhead Harpies for Ginny. Both Weasley children were delighted at being picked by their favourite teams. Luna was currently in training to be an Unspeakable and, as was the norm for that occupation, no one but Minister Kingsley had any idea what she was doing. Neville was taking over as Herbology Professor, since Sprout was to retire the next year. Currently he was assisting lessons, ready to teach properly in just under a year. Then there was Hermione - while the Ministry was improving under Kingsley, there was too much bad blood between the institution and Hermione for her to consider working there and so, in an effort to make her work hours flexible, she had decided to become an author.

Hermione loved books and so it seemed to her that getting to write them herself was a brilliant job. Her experience of war, along with her knowledge of the lives of some of their time's most famous witches and wizards meant that she had all the information to write a lot of books. The entire Order were delighted when they discovered that she was going to write the true story of the two wars and the fight against Voldemort, which was so lengthy it would take several volumes. She hadn't planned much on her next book, but she was thinking of one about all the different spells - from DADA, charms, transfiguration etc - which were useful in battle and defence situations, it was ridiculous how many people were incapable of basic defence spells. Remus, ever the bibliophile, was especially happy about her career choice and had offered to help her whenever he had the time. Sirius, Draco and Dumbledore had offered unlimited use of the Black, Malfoy and Hogwarts libraries respectively, while Bill had offered to be a proof reader and to share his knowledge of foreign spells and curses learnt during his curse-breaking escapades in places like Egypt.

* * *

Christmas passed in a blur of happiness, though it was occasionally tinged with sorrow for those who had been lost. Her presents were brilliant and this year she managed to miss her parents without the tears that had come the year before. She laughed at the twins jokes, giggled with the other women, reminisced about Hogwarts with Harry and Ron, spoke of the work being done at the Ministry with Kingsley and Remus, teased Sirius and made sure she spent a lot of time under the mistletoe with Bill.

"All in all," Hermione thought as they all stood counting down to the first Voldemort free New Year in years, "it's been a pretty good year; defeating Voldemort, getting engaged and beginning work on my very first book." She smiled wryly to herself, "I can only hope things remain just as good in the years to come."

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**Thanks to all those who reviewed the last two chapters of Heir To The Four Founders and who gave me to motivation to get the first chapter of this sequel out; ladygoddess8, readerforlife, SweetSweetRevenge, The Sexy Muggle Librarian and Elfsquire90. Also thanks to moonlightonmalfoymanor, who reviewed chapter 33 of HTTFF.**

**The next chapter, detailing the events of 1999, should be up in no more than a week.**


	2. 1999

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it is the property of the brilliant J.K Rowling. This story is the product of her marvellous characters and world and my imagination.**

**Any constructive criticism or reviews are extremely welcome, I adore feedback of any kind. Enjoy the chapter. **

* * *

**1999 AKA The Year Everyone Worked Their Butts Off & Sirius Met His Match**

By February of 1999, everyone from the Order had settled into a post-war routine and the wizarding world was beginning to get back on its feet, stronger and much less corrupt than before. Hermione had penned the first few chapters of her book and they were currently being proof-read by Bill, Remus and Severus to ensure accuracy. She had also bought a flat with Bill, which they had paid for with the large rewards all members of the Order and the D.A. had been given for their stellar contributions to the war effort. Molly Weasley had pursed her lips a little at the idea of them living together before marriage, but considering that they were engaged and obviously besotted with each other, she remained quiet on the matter, only occasionally speaking of their impropriety.

Hermione loved the flat, which was of course a good thing considering she worked from home and spent all her time in there. It was a wizarding flat in the wizarding area of outer London, magically expanded so there was plenty of room for the huge office and library Hermione insisted on. Everyone had gained much amusement from those rooms, laughing about how Hermione would insist on so many books even after she had left Hogwarts. The flat was often overflowing with visitors and Hermione found herself visited by at least two or three Order members daily, meaning that life was never dull - especially when the twins decided to show up. Bill had no problems with their flat being used as a social club, glad it gave Hermione company during the day when he worked, as long as they left most evenings so he could have some 'alone' time with his fiancée.

Harry, Draco, Blaise, Ron and Ginny were being battered and exhausted by Auror and Quidditch training respectively, though they all seemed to love their jobs with the enthusiasm Hermione used to show for her schoolwork. Neville was greatly enjoying his apprenticeship with Professor Sprout, despite Severus' surliness at "having to cope with bloody Longbottom as a colleague." From the little Luna could reveal, it sounded as if she was greatly interested in her Unspeakable work and Hermione was glad - that sort of work suited Luna, who was incredibly intelligent, but also a little different to most witches and wizards. She fit right in with the other Unspeakables.

Remus, Tonks and Teddy were happily situated in a beautiful cottage, where Hermione visited as much as possible in order to spend time with her two good friends and her little godson. Teddy was a happy, intelligent little boy and amused everyone with his metamorphmagus abilities, reminding Hermione of the time that seemed so long ago, when she and Ginny had begged Tonks to show them their favourite funny noses at Grimmauld Place. Hermione was glad Teddy and any future Order children would be able to grow up in a world without war and, with the way reforms were going, with reduced, perhaps even destroyed, prejudices.

Bill was relishing being back at work as a curse breaker for Gringotts, though he had toned his adventures down a little so he was never away from Hermione for more than a few days. His mother had been delighted, she'd never liked it when he'd spent weeks or months stationed in a foreign country and constantly thanked Hermione for keeping her eldest son at home - no one liked to be separated much after the war. Hermione was just happy that Bill was around a lot. She remembered the days running up to the battle, where they'd both been so busy they'd barely had a chance to see each other - those had been some of the hardest days of the war for her, unsure whether she would survive and without the comfort Bill offered.

* * *

Kingsley was fast becoming one of the most popular Ministers for Magic in the past five hundred years - Fudge had been terrible and while Scrimgeour had been decent, he'd been too interested in manipulating Harry and trying to discover what Dumbledore was up to. Kingsley was open, honest, approachable, not to mention he had experience of war and government through his Auror position, membership of the Order of the Phoenix and role in the war. Dumbledore was still Headmaster of Hogwarts, though the school had a much better relationship with the Ministry now Kingsley was in charge - there would be no more disasters like Umbridge again.

Remus, Tonks and Arthur were doing brilliant work in the Ministry and the new organisation meant that the Ministry would hopefully be secure for years to come. Death eater activity was virtually non-existent thanks to the work of the Aurors and the public was finally starting to feel safe again. Sirius had taken his familial position on the Wizengamot, one he had never been able to take before due to his status as a fugitive and his hatred for his family. He was very outspoken in his disagreement with pure-blood bigotry and campaigned fiercely for the rights of half-breeds like werewolves. His passionate speeches had already won over a large amount of the previously traditional and stubborn Wizengamot.

Speaking of Sirius, Hermione had reason to believe that he had perhaps met a woman who had caught his fancy. She'd noticed that Sirius had stopped being seen with a different woman each night, something he had done ever since his pardon gave him the freedom to do so. He was also out of Grimmauld Place a lot more than normal, which was strange considering Wizengamot meetings only took up a few hours four days a week. Hermione, being her intelligent self, soon concluded that there must be a woman in Sirius' life and that it must be serious (forgive the pun) if he wasn't telling anyone - in one of their late night chats, Sirius had confided that while he boasted to the high heavens about conquests who mattered little, he remained silent on those who really mattered to him.

Hermione had yet to learn the name of the mysterious witch that had so entranced Sirius, but she had seen a flash of long raven locks swish out of view when she had visited Grimmauld Place one time and had also heard the same silvery laugh a few times. She'd asked Sirius about the identity of the witch who had so captivated him a few times, but he always denied the existence of such a woman or steered the conversation away from her - Hermione was getting quite restless with the desire to meet the witch Sirius was keeping secret. When she'd finally gotten Sirius to admit that yes, he was seeing a witch, yes it was serious and no, there was no pun intended, all he would say was that Hermione and the rest of the Order would get to meet her soon enough.

Soon enough turned out to be at Harry's nineteenth Birthday party, held at the Burrow on July 31st. Sirius was, as always, the last to arrive and when he did he certainly made an entrance worthy of his Black heritage. So far, the highlights of the party had been Ginny showing off her beautiful new engagement ring to the gushing females and her beaming mother, Harry being saved the death glares from her brothers since it was his Birthday and Draco turning up with Astoria Greengrass as his date. The latter had been a bit of a worry until they discovered that while Astoria's family was as pure as they come and almost as wealthy as the Malfoys, they also placed little stock in blood purity and had stayed firmly out of the war. Hermione, Ginny, Tonks and Luna all found her to be an engaging, intelligent girl and they were pleased for Draco.

Of course, all this was blown out of the water by the arrival of Sirius and a gorgeous, raven haired woman who appeared to be in her early thirties. The party went entirely silent, even the twins remained quiet as they all took in a smirking Sirius and his beautiful companion, who was smiling shyly at them all.

Sirius, never one to blunder and stumble through things, grinned at his friends, "I'd like you all to meet Madeline Derrick, my girlfriend."

His words seemed to be what was needed to end the silence and both Remus and Harry were in the lead to congratulate Sirius. The women; Hermione, Luna, Ginny, Tonks, Narcissa, Astoria, Maria Zabini, Molly and Hannah (who had come with Neville) all encircled Madeline, welcoming her and asking her a whole host of questions about herself. Hermione watched happily as the woman visibly relaxed, glad of the acceptance she was receiving. Hermione nodded to herself, this woman wasn't a bimbo and she seemed clever enough to keep up with Sirius - a perfect match.

While Remus, Harry, Tonks and Narcissa regaled Madeline, or Maddie as she had insisted they call her, with amusing stories of Sirius' youth, the marauders and his refusal to ever really grow up, Hermione went over to talk to the man being discussed so avidly. "She seems great Sirius," she told him softly, leaning over to greet him with a hug, "I'm so glad you've found someone special, I was beginning to think you'd be a playboy bachelor for the rest of your life."

Sirius gave a mock pout, "you wound me Mione, there is nothing wrong with playing the field a little. Still, I'm glad I've found Maddie, she's everything I'd ever want in a woman - probably the only one apart from you who can really put me in my place."

Hermione laughed, "I like her already, you can be such a child sometimes that you need someone to boss you about. I know you've been teaching Teddy all about pranking and the poor boy is only a bit over a year old. I won't have you corrupting my little godson," she said with a smile.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter, "Mione, are you forgetting who I am - Padfoot, one of the great Marauders and a prank genius - to Teddy I will always be the uncle who lets him get away with everything and teaches him all he needs to know about pranking. Still, Moony might help, despite he occasional 'holier than thou' demeanour, he always came up with our best ideas, he just never got caught."

Hermione grinned, she could certainly believe that about Remus, while he was one of the most responsible men she knew, he was also one of the sneakiest when he wished to be.

She shook her head, smiling at Sirius, "well, moving away from discussions of your mischievous childhood, I am very happy for you Sirius, but rest assured that if she hurts you I will ensure that she pays dearly for it."

Sirius nodded, "I'll pass on the message, despite the fact that I'll look pathetic for having a nineteen year old girl protecting me - then again, you are rather petrifying when you want to be - still, I doubt she'll hurt me, it's looking long-term I think," he told her with a bright smile.

Hermione grinned and gave him another hug and went over to chat to Kingsley.

* * *

The summer gradually changed to autumn and Hermione watched with a little sadness as the sun became less common and in its place came high winds and cool weather. Still, with no summer activities, she found she had more time to get down to planning her wedding to Bill, which would take place the next summer. They were going to have it at the Burrow, a plan which had delighted Mrs Weasley and moved her to tears. Unfortunately, that was about the only thing they had definitely decided, though Molly had insisted on doing to catering and Hermione left it in her capable hands - no one cooked quite like Mrs Weasley. As for the other details, Hermione still had about nine months to get things done and she was planning to go shopping with the girls for wedding and bridesmaid dresses in a few months, when there were New Year sales on.

By November, Hermione had finished the final draft of her book, _Defensive Spell Work for Battle_, and it was currently being published. Flourish and Blotts, the main book store chain in the wizarding world, would begin to stock it in early December and expected it to be a big hit. While the war was over, fights and skirmishes would always be around and who better to learn battle techniques from but one third of the Golden Trio. Hermione was both excited and apprehensive about the launch of the book, though all her friends assured her that they just knew it would be a big hit, making her feel a lot better. Despite her incredible intelligence, Hermione's fear had always been failure, as shown by her boggart in third year - Professor McGonagall informing her that she had failed everything - and she worried terribly that she wouldn't succeed

In the end, she need not have worried; pre-order sales were huge and all Flourish and Blotts ran out of her book within two days. She was most definitely a big hit.

* * *

**Thanks to The Sexy Muggle Librarian for the review of the first chapter, it was very much appreciated.**

**The next chapter, in which we explore the happenings of the year 2000 and an awful lot of weddings, will be up in a week or two.**


	3. 2000

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it is the property of the brilliant J.K Rowling. This story is the product of her marvellous characters and world and my imagination.**

**Any constructive criticism or reviews are extremely welcome, I adore feedback of any kind. Enjoy the chapter. By the way, I am so very sorry for the huge delay, life just seemed to get in the way. I can't say I'll be faster updating, my exams are coming up soon, but I'll do my best.**

**Warning: contains fairly strong language near the end of the chapter.**

* * *

**2000 AKA The Year of Weddings**

They all brought in the new Millennium together at the Burrow, in a party more rambunctious than usual and only matched by the one that had taken place after the war ended. Even Hermione, who had never been one for partying, found herself celebrating the end of the 20th century with vigour, waking up the next day with a hangover for the first time in her life. It wasn't a pleasant experience and she could only be thankful that everyone else was too hung-over to make her headache worse as she'd done for them. The next few weeks were a haze of trying to decide whether to eat all the chocolate they'd received for Christmas, or if to attempt to resist it after all their indulgence at Christmas and New Year - needless to say, most ended up eating the chocolate anyway and exercising incessantly in an attempt to prevent any unnecessary weight gain.

January was also the month many of the men cringed, for the women were taking advantage of the New Year sales to go shopping for wedding and bridesmaid dresses. For some reason, many of the couples in the Order had decided that the first year of the new Millennium would be the perfect time for their wedding. While originally only Hermione and Bill were to be married in June, Harry and Ginny had moved their wedding from 2001 to a just two months after Hermione's. The twins, who had both proposed to their respective girlfriends at the New Year's Eve party, were also getting married that year, in a double ceremony that was to be held in April. With four brides and a whole host of bridesmaids, every one of the younger, female members of the Order circle had to get multiple dresses for the ceremonies.

They spent three days straight at the shops from opening until closing time in order to find the perfect dresses for everyone, but they were delighted with what they found in the end. None of the men had seen their bride's dress, as the women wished to keep it a surprise, but the bridesmaids dresses were shown and admired, for they had to ensure the groomsmen matched. All the girls had decided to have only two bridesmaids each - while they wished to have more, they all recognised that the huge number of weddings meant each girl had too much to do to play such a huge part in every wedding. Hermione had chosen to have her bridesmaids, Ginny and Tonks, dressed in gold, and Tonks had promised to turn her hair to a more conservative brunette for the occasion. Ginny had picked Hermione and Luna, dressing them in a pale blue that complimented both girls well. Since Angelina and Katie were having a joint wedding, they'd decided to just have two bridesmaids between them, choosing the final female on the Quidditch team Harry had joined in his first year - Alicia Spinnet - along with Ginny, who had known the two girls for years through Fred, George and then Harry, when he joined the Quidditch team. They had at first thought to dress the pair in pink, but that had clashed horribly with Ginny's red hair and in the end they had decided on pale green, which went marvellously with both Ginny's hair and Alicia's raven locks. There had been a little worry that some of the boys might think the colour too Slytherin, but no one seemed to mind too much, always remembering the part that Slytherins Draco and Blaise had played in the war.

Hermione was pretty much in love with her wedding dress, so much so that Ginny had teasingly asked her who exactly she was getting married to - Bill or the dress. Hermione's response had been to stick her tongue out at her friend and turn back to her dress to admire it. Bill, for his part, was both happy and amused to see his fiancée so happy about the dress, it was so rare that Hermione got excited about material things like clothes and he took the opportunity to tease her endlessly about it. She was having a hard time choosing who would give her away in lieu of her deceased father - there were so many important men in her life and she really wished to include them all. In the end though, after endless discussions with Bill, she decided that it had to be Sirius. While he wasn't exactly like her father, they had slept together once after all, he was one of her closest friends. N the end it was good that she had decided on only two bridesmaids, for while Sirius was giving her away, and Ron and Kingsley (who knew Bill fairly well), were joining the best man Charlie as groomsmen, there was still Harry and Remus to account for. Unable to comprehend not having them in the wedding party, Hermione's two bridesmaids were now being accompanied by her two 'best men'. What was even more perfect was that the two were the partners of her bridesmaids, meaning there would be no squabbles about who walked who down the aisle. Hermione and Bill even found a role for little Teddy as ring bearer, though his age meant Remus would be carrying him, and most likely the rings.

* * *

The next few months passed in a flurry of wedding preparations and thankfully little disaster, unless you counted Fred and George's rather rambunctious birthday surprises. It didn't help that the twins' birthday fell on April Fools Day, meaning they were even more inclined to make mischief. They rearranged all the furniture in the Burrow, charmed Ron's hair Slytherin green, somehow managed to get to Malfoy in order to dye his skin Gryffindor red and gold, spiked Sirius' firewhiskey stash with hiccupping solution and woke the entire Burrow with their own magical marching band - and all this before 8 am. Despite this, the morning of Fred and George's wedding - April 21st - dawned bright and clear, which was very good considering the wedding was to be held outside on the land surrounding the Burrow, which had been considerably done up with the money each war hero received for their part in Voldemort's defeat.

Hermione found herself helping put the final touches to the decorations on the morning of the wedding, with the assistance of Luna and a very reluctant Harry and Ron. Ginny and Alicia were upstairs with the two brides, trying to calm them as it seemed to have only now occurred to them that they were marrying Fred and George Weasley, the biggest pranksters since the Marauders, and were basically signing up to be testers for all the new WWW products. Tonks had been very enthusiastic about wanting to help, but since Hermione doubted Mrs Weasley's nerves could take the many disasters that tended to help around clumsy Tonks, she told her friend that she should probably watch Teddy as Remus was helping Sirius, Kingsley, Bill and Charlie with some of the heavy lifting. The metamorphmagus happily sat down in the sitting room of the Burrow with her toddler son, whose hair was flashing all the colours of the rainbow due to his excitement, and any potential breakages were therefore avoided.

Shockingly enough, the main part of the wedding went off without a hitch; no explosions, swamps or fireworks at all. The brides were completely gorgeous - both wore white dresses that fell to just below their knees with bodice-like tops and floaty skirts. They suited the two girls perfectly, lovely dresses but not overly girly. The best part, in Hermione's opinion, was the little brooch each girl wore; a little scarlet quaffle (as the brides had been chasers) entwined with little golden beaters bats (for the grooms). The vows were meaningful without being soppy, something neither grooms nor brides would have stood for. Molly Weasley cried buckets and Hermione heard Charlie whisper to Bill that perhaps they should have taken Fred up on his idea and put her in a full body bind for the duration of the ceremony.

The reception took place in the garden as well, with a large white tent for shade and food, while the dance floor was outside. All speeches thankfully took place before any strong alcohol was served and so nothing too embarrassing was revealed, much to Draco's disappointment - as a Slytherin he was always on the lookout for potential blackmail material, especially when Gryffindors were involved. There was another round of tears from Molly, who was heard loudly declaring her hope that married life would mean that the twins would tone down a little - Hermione shared a laugh with Bill over that, they knew full well that the twins would never calm down, even when they were old and grey. There was the customary first dance for the two brides and grooms, though the song was a lot more upbeat than the normal romantic tune. Hermione was fondly reminded of Fred and Angelina's exuberant dancing at the Yule Ball.

True to form, Fred and George managed to slip a few canary creams into the buffet in order to catch those poor people who believed the twins wouldn't prank at their own wedding - Molly was not amused. Hermione danced with everyone, including the twins, who were very well behaved around her - she was one of the few people they were scared of and they hadn't forgotten the pink hair and sparkly tutus she'd forced on them. She danced about a dozen times with Bill, realising, in an sappy way unusual for her, that the next time she'd dance at a wedding it would be her own. She shook her head, all these weddings and romance were getting to her and she was becoming much too sentimental; Draco and Severus would be ashamed of her, she was supposed to have some Slytherin traits after all.

As the newlyweds set off for their honeymoons, Fred and Angelina to Hawaii and George and Katie to Fiji, Hermione found herself daydreaming about her own upcoming wedding. She was so engrossed in images of silk and flowers that Sirius had to throw some of the rice meant for the twins and their brides in order to get her attention. He insisted it was purely a way of getting her attention, but she saw the smirk and knew he would have probably done it anyway - that man would never grow up, though she didn't really know if she'd want him to. She decided that everything she'd heard was right - it didn't matter how much of a practical, logical girl you were, preparing to get married turned you into some sort of fabric fiend with flowers and decorations on your mind every ten seconds.

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The run up to Hermione and Bill's wedding made her appreciate just how much work had to go in to ensure things ran smoothly. Hermione didn't ever want to have to do it again and she'd had loads of help, especially from Mrs Weasley, who was all in a tizzy by the fact that by the time the year was out, three of her sons and her only daughter would all be married. Since Hermione and Bill were also to be married outside the Burrow since it would be summer they could use the tent the twins had used, though the decorations would be a little more floral - Hermione loved flowers and Bill was happy to oblige her occasional whims. There had been many attempts by Bill, aided and abetted by Sirius, Ron, Fred and George - the other men too sensible or afraid of Hermione's wrath, to try and peek at the wedding dress, but Hermione thwarted them every time. After the fourth attempt Mrs Weasley had delivered such a stern lecture that none of the boys ever attempted to look for Hermione's dress again.

When the day finally came Hermione was a flurry of nerves, excitement and happiness - she was finally going to marry Bill, the love of her life. There was an air of tangible excitement in Mr and Mrs Weasley's bedroom, which had been set aside for the bridal party. Hermione was pulling on her dress with the assistance of her bridesmaids Ginny and Tonks, while Mrs Weasley, standing in as Hermione's honorary mother, flitted round the room alternating between straightening the clothes, arranging items and sobbing at the thought of the girl she thought of as a daughter being married to her eldest son. Hermione couldn't keep the smile off her face, despite the fact that her dress was being unceremoniously shoved over her head by a giggling Ginny and Tonks. It was worth it though, Hermione grinned as she looked in the mirror - she'd never thought she could look this beautiful and yet the dress, her hair, which had been tamed into chocolate curls that fell to her lower back and her pristine make-up, courtesy of Ginny, made her look just like a princess from the fairytales her mother used to read her as a child.

Hermione had always heard about how women got so nervous just before their wedding, despite wanting to marry their fiancé. Hermione, on the other hand, was not currently experiencing that feeling, just a pleasant warmth in her stomach at the thought of becoming Mrs Bill Weasley. Of course, she'd felt terribly nervous before, but a few words from Sirius, then Ginny and Tonks, had put her mind at rest and assured her that she was definitely making the right choice. Mrs Weasley made one last noise, somewhere between a happy sigh and a sob, before she flew out of the room and downstairs to get everyone to take their places. Ginny and Tonks, whose hair was the promised chestnut brown, looked lovely in the pale gold dresses and grabbed their flowers before smiling at Hermione and stepping out of the room as Sirius stepped in, giving her a few moments privacy with the man who was about to give her away.

Sirius came and sat down next to Hermione, who was perched lightly on the bed to prevent her dress being creased. "How are you feeling Mione?" he asked, with a smile, "nervous?"

She shrugged a little, "more so earlier, I'm just excited now I think, I've been waiting for this for ages and I have no worries."

He nodded, his expression light as he took in the glow of anticipation that seemed to surround her, "I'm glad, you deserve all the happiness possible Mione. Despite the fact that I reckon most of us wouldn't ever think anyone was good enough for you, Bill comes pretty damn close and I'm accept him wholeheartedly, despite the fact that I may well kill him if he hurts you."

He kissed her on the cheek as she smiled, before standing up and holding out his hand to her, "come on then Mione, let's get this show on the road."

They walked down the stairs and out into the gardens, where the sun was streaming down, Hermione gripping Sirius' arm tightly to prevent herself falling over in heels that were a lot higher than she was used to.

They reached the entrance of the marquee where the ceremony would take place and, hidden from the view of the guests, Sirius paused one last time, "you are totally sure that this is what you want Mione?" he asked, "just want to make sure you're totally happy with all this."

Hermione nodded, eyes sparkling happily, "I am happy Sirius, thank you for checking though, what would I do without you."

He laughed, muttering something about "boring is what your life would be without me."

She took his arm again and they entered the tent to the wedding march, a muggle tradition that Hermione had insisted be incorporated in her wedding, though it was coming from a charmed instrument rather than someone actually playing.

The bridesmaids went first, Tonks in front, accompanied by Remus, who had little Teddy in his arms. The small metamorphmagus had blue hair for the occasion and was been assisted by his father in carrying the wedding rings. Next up was Ginny, beaming on Harry's arm and Hermione knew her best friend couldn't wait to walk up the aisle in her own wedding dress. Hermione followed on Sirius' arms, blushing slightly as the whole crowd turned as one to look at her. She could see Ron, Kingsley and Charlie standing up next to Bill, who looked completely and utterly handsome, it was almost impossible to tell he had ever met Fenrir Greyback. While she had opted for a muggle wedding gown, he had gone for formal wizards robes and she thought the cut looked very dashing on his muscled form. She caught the look in his eyes, a mix of lust, love and amazement, and breathed a sigh of relief. Her dress - fitted bodice with a flowing skirt and beautiful train, must be a success.

Sirius kissed her hand gently as they reached the alter and he handed her over to her soon-to-be husband. Bill looked like his smile couldn't get any wider as she placed her hand in his and she knew she looked the same. She didn't pay much attention to the vows, something shocking to a person who spent her life giving 100% attention, but she was too busy looking at Bill. She spoke softly when it came to the 'I do' part, but each word was infused with the love she felt for Bill and she knew that marriage to the man in front of her was exactly what she wanted. When the minister announced that it was time to kiss the bride, Bill kissed her with all the passion he had during their first kiss in the room of requirement, only this time the interruption of Sirius, Remus and Kingsley was replaced by the cat-calls of their guests.

The reception was just as beautiful as Fred and George's, more so in Hermione's eyes, since it was her wedding, not to mention there was a lack of joke food, though the twins did provide beautiful fireworks for some entertainment. Though they did insist on a few humorous fireworks, such as a ferret being chased by a pack of lions (Draco was not amused), most were lovely and Teddy especially enjoyed watching them. They managed to get Sirius to give his speech first, Remus had warned her of the disaster that had occurred when James had allowed Sirius to speak after his best man had imbibed a few firewhiskeys. He managed to keep the embarrassment to a minimum, though he couldn't help but mention how he, Remus and Kingsley had walked in on the couple's first kiss, but he wished them well and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down next to Madeline, who he was still dating, much to everyone's surprise and happiness.

Charlie spoke for Bill and Hermione was greatly amused by his anecdotes about her new husband, then Harry and Ron gave a condensed five minute version of their adventures during Hogwarts. They were unable to stop Ginny from giggling her way through a short speech (she'd had a few firewhiskeys by then) before her fiancé dragged her to her seat. Molly and Arthur toasted the new husband and wife before the dancing then began.

Hermione and Bill opened with their customary first dance and Hermione was desperately happy that it was not a Celistina Warbeck song, Molly might adore the witch, but Hermione could never put up with her simpering voice. They were soon joined by many of their other guests and Hermione could see the couples spinning around them; Molly and Arthur, Ginny and Harry, Fred and Angelina, George and Katie, Sirius and Madeline, Remus and Tonks (with Teddy in Tonks' arms) and Draco with Astoria.

Hermione was pleased to see that Neville had brought Hannah Abbott as a date, though they weren't dancing, but chatting in a corner, perhaps about Herbology, a strong subject for both. Ron hadn't managed a date and though Molly was a little disappointed, there was still plenty of time in the future and he was having a good time chatting to Kingsley and Charlie, who were both still single.

The wedding, Hermione mused later, had been everything she had dreamt about and more. The honeymoon location, which had been kept a secret from Hermione, who didn't know until they arrived, was perfect. Bill had chosen Italy for its mix of brilliant weather, beautiful scenery and excellent history, which he knew Hermione would adore. She'd returned from the three week holiday well rested, full of new information and with a completely gorgeous tan much envied by both Ginny and Tonks.

* * *

The weather was even more beautiful on the day the Boy Who Lived married Ginny Weasley. Unlike the weddings of her brothers, Ginny and Harry had chosen to have their ceremony at Hogwarts, the place that had been Harry's first real home. Harry had asked Dumbledore to provide over the ceremony as Minister and the old wizard had been delighted to agree. Hermione couldn't help but feel nostalgic as she helped Luna put the finishing touches to Ginny's outfit - her best friend looked gorgeous, her dress complimented by her long, flowing red hair and her understated makeup. Hermione smoothed the creases out of her own dress, a pale blue knee-length silky number matching Luna's. It must have looked good, Bill had given her _that _look - the one that meant he wanted to ravish her completely. Of course, they hadn't managed to get time for that yet, as Hermione had needed to help Ginny, but she'd sent him her own look back, promising a fun night once the wedding was over.

The wedding was lovely, with some beautiful pictures taken by the Quibbler, the only media allowed in for the wedding. Hermione was delighted to see two of her best friends so happy and she'd laughed at Sirius' expression when he had caught the garter Harry threw, while a dazed Maddie had caught the bouquet thrown by Ginny. Perhaps Sirius Black - eternal bachelor and womaniser - was finally going to be tied down. Hermione looked at Maddie and smiled, she didn't think there was anyone better suited to the task. As promised, once the speeches, dancing and formalities were over with and both Hermione and Bill had heartily congratulated the newly wed couple before they set off on their honeymoon to the Caribbean, she led him back home and they enjoyed the night Bill's eyes had promised ever since he'd seen her in her bridesmaids dress.

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_**Sirius Black Elopes With Girlfriend**_

_This reporter has some amazing news - Sirius Black, womaniser extraordinaire, married yesterday in a quiet ceremony that appears to be an elopement. Mr Black, who has been dating Miss Madeline Derrick steadily for a few months, was seen leaving a small chapel in Gretna Green. The new Mr and Mrs Black were willing to speak briefly to this reporter, telling me that they would hold a party to celebrate their marriage for all their friends and family, though Mr Black stressed that any media would not be invited. _

_We at the Daily Prophet wish Mr Black and his new wife every good wish, along with consolations to the many witches who are sure to be sad to see one of the wizarding world's most eligible bachelors settle down. We'll bring you more news as it comes._

Sirius swore as he put the paper down, though he smiled as his new wife put a gentle hand on his arm. He'd known the story would come out, but he'd hoped he'd have time to explain to his nearest and dearest so they didn't have to find out threw a paper. He winced as he heard the floo flare into life and Hermione's voice, the one she only used when she was angry, came through into the kitchen.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, I AM GOING TO MURDER YOU. HOW DARE YOU GET BLOODY MARRIED AND NOT TELL ME - I WANTED TO BE A BRIDESMAID, WANTED TO SEE ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS GET MARRIED. YOU BETTER HAVE A FUCKING GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THIS OR I WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOUR BALLS ARE CUT OFF WITH A RUSTY KNIFE."

Sirius winced once more as his wife gave him a sheepish smile and retired to their room, she knew very well not to get involved when Hermione was in this sort of mood. Needless to say, after the angry brunette witch was done with him, Sirius was unable to engage in any intimate activities with his new bride for a fortnight.

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**Thanks to all those who reviewed the previous chapter, it was much appreciated; Elfsquire90, The Sexy Muggle Librarian, Readerforlife and harmonious. Also thanks to MadameAshlynn23 for her review of chapter one. **

**Go to ****the link on my page**** for an image of Hermione's wedding dress because my clothes descriptions are completely terrible. Sorry if you think some of the weddings weren't particularly detailed, but I'm not great at writing them and I didn't want to feel like I was repeating myself.**

**The pink hair and tutu reference is from chapter 40 of 'Heir to the Four Founders'.**

**Sorry if these updates are rather slow, I'm not updating this nearly as fast as I did with Heir To The Four Founders. However, I have another story on the go, 'Fighting The Darkness' and I'm afraid updates for that take priority and I work on this as much as possible. Apologies if the chapters don't come out as fast as you'd like.**


	4. 2001

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it is the property of the brilliant J.K Rowling. This story is the product of her marvellous characters and world and my imagination.**

**Any constructive criticism or reviews are extremely welcome, I adore feedback of any kind. Enjoy the chapter. By the way, I am so very sorry for the huge delay, life just seemed to get in the way, I lost inspiration and worked on other projects. I won't promise a date for the next chapter, if there is even an audience left for this fic, but I will try and eventually finish it. I've decided not to attempt a chapter for every year between the Final Battle and the Epilogue of 'Heir to the Four Founders' like I planned to because it would just get boring hearing about constant births and marriages. After this year, 2001, I will probably do 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013 and then post the epilogue for 2014.**

**Sorry about the length, I just couldn't think of anything else to write.**

**I have realised that Natalia Lupin should have been born last chapter so just pretend that she was, and I'll mention her as almost a year old in this chapter. The birth of babies will be mentioned in this fic, but I won't bother much with talking about any pregnancies but Hermione's since there will be so many that it'll get boring. **

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**2001 AKA The Year Sirius Spent Making Amends To Hermione For Eloping & Not Letting Her Be A Bridesmaid**

While the damage Hermione had done to Sirius because he dared to get married without her there was temporary, and faded after a few weeks (much to the relief of his new wife), the firecracker of a witch was by no means done with her best friend … Sirius was going to regret not involving her in his wedding. She understood that it might have been spur of the moment, and she wasn't truly angry, but that didn't stop her being annoyed and irritated because he was one of her closest friends, possibly the closest.

She didn't blame Maddie, she wasn't the impulsive one and she had wisely stepped aside to allow Hermione to kick Sirius' butt for what he'd done. Hermione liked Maddie, she was good for Sirius and, once she'd seen how annoyed Hermione had been at being left out, she had even offered to have Sirius sleeping on the couch for a month, but Hermione knew that would be cruel to Maddie too and had thanked her, but said it was unnecessary.

Besides, Sirius' first attempts to make it better had just made her even more pissed off - he had told her that she was being irrational - and while she knew she might be taking it a bit far, his cocky attitude wasn't helping and that made a stint on the couch seem too easy for him.

When she decided to burst into noisy (and fake) tears the next time he came round to her and Bill's flat, wailing that he obviously didn't see her as a friend because he hadn't told her about the wedding, the poor animagus was totally out of his depth. It was this that led to his year long attempt to make amends to her.

The whole debacle was a source of constant amusement to their group of friends, and Hermione often discussed how she managed to bring Sirius to his knees with Remus and Tonks, when she dropped by to see them, her godson Teddy and the newest addition, a beautiful little girl who had been named Natalia Andromeda. Their daughter had not inherited her mother's metamorphmagus skills, instead having a tuft of hair the same sandy brown as her delighted father.

Teddy took well to his new sister, despite a few tantrums over sharing his toys, and the pair were soon inseparable, the small age gap making it easier for them. Everyone, Hermione especially, ensured that Teddy knew nothing had changed and that he was still just as important to his parents, and the little boy remained just as carefree as he had done previously.

Sirius was named as the little girl's godfather and a surprised Maddie was given the title of godmother because "Sirius will be a wild influence and anyone who can tame him is obviously capable of ensuring our little girl doesn't turn into a female Padfoot." Surprisingly, Sirius was being fairly responsible, though Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that he was trying to get into her good books.

He had announced at one of their many gatherings that he would spend a year trying to make it up to her if that's what it took. Truth be told, she'd rather gotten over it after they'd had a wedding party, but Sirius (in his typically overdramatic fashion) felt he had to prove that she was still important. She felt rather flattered, but didn't really believe he'd actually spend a year doing things for her.

She was rather shocked when he did.

Every time he came round, he brought something with him, he didn't prank her (and somehow managed to stop Fred and George doing it too) and he spent a large part of his time just entertaining her and making her laugh.

It didn't matter how much she protested, he did it anyway and even when she tried getting Maddie to talk him round, she refused to agree, stating that when Sirius was in one of his serious moods then she wouldn't interfere.

In the end it took her doing exactly what had caused the whole problem to begin with - shouting obscenities at him and hexing him till he couldn't walk straight for almost a month.

For some reason, everyone found the whole episode immensely amusing.

But aside from Sirius being the universe's biggest drama queen, he was rather useful; he was so intent on being helpful that he agreed to proofread her latest book; the true story of the Golden Trio. It glossed over parts such as the Horcruxes, knowledge too dangerous to be published, but despite that, seven years of adventures made for a long story.

In the end she decided to put it into three volumes; years one to three, years four to six and then what would have been their seventh year. They were all going to be released at the same time, so the reading Sirius had to endure was a huge amount, though he insisted he didn't mind (she knew he was lying).

Thankfully, Remus and Bill offered to help whenever they had a spare moment and even Dumbledore offered a few anecdotes and tips, so the monumental task didn't end up falling completely to Sirius.

The books were, as expected by everyone in the Order but Hermione (who always feared failure), another huge success, and Flourish & Blotts decided to sign a contract with Hermione, meaning she'd definitely have somewhere to sell any future works.

She certainly planned on working hard; her next project was going to be a series on creature rights and misconceptions surrounding those many deemed as only having near-human intelligence; it would include volumes on werewolves (Remus would be assisting), house-elves (though she'd learnt her lesson about giving them freedom, she still thought they deserved better treatment) and centaurs (because they probably shouldn't have a repeat of the 'Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest' episode).

She was taking a few months break to start with though, to spend time with Bill, but she was looking forward to starting her work soon.

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The other memorable part of the first year of the new Millennium didn't arrive until late in the year; the birth of the first child of Harry and Ginny Potter. While there had been quite a fuss when Remus and Tonks' children had been born, considering they were high-ranking members of the Order, it was nothing when compared to the pandemonium that erupted when the son of the Boy-Who-Lived and his childhood sweetheart was born in St Mungo's Hospital at 3.45 am on the 25th November.

James Sirius Potter looked like he'd be inheriting Harry's dark hair and Ginny's brown eyes; a perfect mix of both his parents. He had everyone in the near vicinity besotted with him immediately, especially his godfather Sirius, given the honour since the child was partially named after him.

However, when everyone witnessed a spark in the baby's eyes that probably shouldn't have been present in one so small - a spark of mischief - they all agreed that perhaps naming Sirius the godfather and giving him the name of two troublemaking marauders might not have been the best idea, especially when Molly told them that she'd seen the same look in Fred and George's eyes when they were small.

He might only be a baby, but as soon as their small son could crawl, Harry and Ginny would be run ragged trying to watch him. With two children and a grandchild of original marauders now about, life would never be peaceful.

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**Once again, apologies for the wait. I adored working on Heir To The Four Founders but I think I overestimated my interest in this companion fic. I don't know when the next update will be because I'm working on uni stuff and too many fan fic projects to count (though when any of them will be up of i don't know.**


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